Today, I receive all God’s love for me. Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of God’s Universe. Today, I open myself to your Blessings, healing and miracles.Today, I open myself to God’s Word so that I become more like Jesus Everyday. Today, I proclaim that I’m God’s Beloved, I’m God’s Servant, I’m God’s powerful champion, And because I am blessed, I will bless the world, In Jesus Name, Amen.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Congratulations and best wishes to the winners of the first ever Nippon Paint Young Designer Award 2014 in the Philippines. I am so happy for all of you! The winners, Kristine Caballes from University of San Carlos Cebu and Jason Labacanacruz from the Technological University of the Philippines Manila, won the prestigious Nippon Paint Young Designer Award (NPYDA) 2014 for interior design and architecture categories, respectively. Nippon Paint Young Designer Award(NPYDA) announced the winners at Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas. The competition’s theme is "Re:Think. Re:Create. Our Community, Our Home." NPYDA was launched in 2008 but was brought to the Philippines only last year.

Yes, friends! The prestigious NPYDA 2014 has for the first time recognized the talent of the Filipino students. The Filipino winners won a fully-paid trip to Japan for a cross-country learning program, among other prizes.The first Philippine edition of the competition received 196 entries from all over the Philippines. The entries revolved around creating a “community-centric and sustainable township that provides high quality of life for all ages and walks of life."

Kristine Caballes, a University of San Carlos (USC Cebu) student who incorporated a garden in her design of the interiors of an imaginary home, is the first Filipino winner for interior design in the Nippon Paint Young Designer Award (NPYDA).

Caballes said her design was guided by the Philippine climate, geography and everything about the country. In her design statement, she said “people living in this residence can save energy, water and money by using rainwater as their source of energy and water supply.” She incorporated rain catchment facilities and a vertical wall garden with hydroponics plants.

Caballes’ project introduced a residential house that not only uses rainwater for water supply but also converts it into electricity.

Caballeswalked away with Php50,000 cash prize, A 6-month internship paid internship contracts under Lor Calma & Partners, which willgive her an opportunity to acquire valuable experience from working alongside industry professionals.and spots in the exclusive Japan Learning Program and the prestige of being the first Filipino winner in the interior design category of NPYDA. She also got an additional Php5,000 when her design was named Best Green Innovation.

VERTICAL garden in Caballes’ winning dining room design

Caballes’ design impressed the judges so much she got a rating of more than 90 percent while the runner-up got less than 80 percent.

Jason B.Labanacruz wowed the judges with the idea to use recycled container vans for stable low cost housing instead of tents which are not resistant to typhoons. Caballes’ project meanwhile introduced a residential house that not only uses rainwater for water supply but also converts it into electricity.

Scenes of devastation and death caused by recent typhoons, Labacanacruz said, led him to think of a design that would minimize the destructive impact of natural and other calamities. His entry, “Indayog ng Kulay Housing Project,” uses, among other things, recycled cargo containers to reduce the use of natural construction materials.

LABACANACRUZ proposes the use of recycled cargo containers for his “housing development.”

Labanacruz won the gold award and walked away with Php50,000 cash prize, a 6-month paid internship contracts under Lor Calma & Partners and spots in the exclusive Japan Learning Program and the prestige of being the first Filipino winner in the architecture category of NPYDA.He also received Php5,000 for winning the prize for Best Color Choice.

Aside from the cash prize and trophy, the winners will each receive a six-month internship at Lor Calma & Partners and a fully paid trip in March to Osaka, Japan, to compete with the winners from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Japan and Hong Kong for the regional title.

They will also participate in the Japan Learning Program, an exclusive workshop for NPYDA winners that will feature internationally renowned architects and interior designers as speakers and resource persons.

NPYDA is an annual, region-wide competition regional competition across 10 Asia Pacific countries such as the following:

Malaysia

Vietnam

Thailand

Singapore

Indonesia

Pakistan

China

Japan

Hong Kong

and now the Philippines.

The competition challenges emerging designers to find innovative and practical solutions to real-world demands of their profession. It is aimed at developing creative young talent and raising the standards of design excellence.Indeed, without the inspiration of the young, the design world will be stagnant.Gladys Goh, group general manager of Nippon Paint Malaysia Group, said “the exceptionally talented young people” who participated in the competition represented the future of design. The first NPYDA drew 120 entries in interior design and 76 in architecture.

Goh said she was impressed that they got so many entries in just about six months since they launched NPYDA in the Philippines. She added that the competition was not just about “looking pretty,” as it put emphasis on the green element. The contest criteria assigned 30 percent of the total score to “green-ness.”“All entries are very unique and relevant to the needs of the Philippines and inspired by the Philippines’ natural wonders,” she said. Nippon Paint invested in the competition, she said, “because what’s the use of having green technology if there is no green design?”

Rogelio Caringal, president of the Philippine Institute of Interior Design, said NPYDA is “planting the seeds of green consciousness for better, greener and healthier environment.”

Beth Regala, president of United Architects of the Philippines, said architects played a critical role in shaping the environment, while Rolando Cordero, chair of the Professional Regulation Commission Board for Architecture, who chaired the board of judges, said the NPYDA confirmed his view that there is an abundance of talent among young Filipino interior designers and architects.

Father-and-son tandem of Lor and Ed Calma is a formidable force in architecture.

Lor Calma is a legend in the world of architect and interior design. He translated the modernism’s minimalist form into a Filipino context in the ’50s throughout the ’70s. The younger Calma, meanwhile, has made a name for himself, stepping out of the shadows from his architect father.NPYDA, a recognition program in Asia that shines the spotlight on young specifiers who want their work showcased in both the local and international arena, will also send the winners to Japan for a cross-country learning program.

Lor Calma, who is also the head judge for the interior design category of NPYDA 2014, can't wait to guide the winners during their internship at his firm.“We’re partners with Nippon Paint, so this is a big deal,” he said. “It’s an international competition so we’re looking for talents here in the Philippines that would be able to compete worldwide. I believe our students have a fighting chance because you can see from the work, the passion they have.”During the six-month internship, Calma hopes to share his experiences and guide them as to how international juries would look at their projects.